Tank Update: The Utah Jazz currently sit tied for the best odds (14%) to draft Cooper Flagg. They are the second-worst team in the NBA behind the Washington Wizards by 1 game, which means that we currently have a 47.8% chance of dropping out of the top 4. If that were to happen, would the Jazz go with a big man? The Utah Jazz lack center depth as the only big men that can play the 5 are Walker Kessler, and sometimes Micah Potter, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Kyle Filipowski.
One highly touted big man has been dominating college basketball, Derik Queen. One of finesse and wizardry that will leave you dumbfounded night in and night out. An older freshman at the age of 20 years old on draft night and turning 21 by the end of 2025, but he is still super talented and worth taking higher than other prospects this June.
He may eat more than others, but you cannot judge a book by its cover when evaluating Derik Queen.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament - First Round - Seattle Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Derik Queen: Forward/Center - Maryland Terrapins
Listed Height: 6’10
Draft Day Age: 20
Pro Comparison: Zach Randolph / Domantas Sabonis / Kenneth Lofton Jr / less athletic Julius Randle / Wendell Carter Jr / Boris Diaw / Alperen Sengun
Stats: 16.2 PPG | 9.2 RPG | 1.9 APG | 1.1 BPG | 1.1 SPG | 2.4 TO | 52.7% FG | 14.3 % 3FG | 75.7% FT
Derik Queen has been one of the hottest names in NBA Draft talk throughout the entire college season/draft cycle. With a 6’10 frame at a listed 246 lbs., Queen has been able to carve out a role on the Terrapins which has landed himself in top 10 pick discussions, and even top 5 for some. He came into the season with a lot of notoriety having played alongside the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg at Montverde where he averaged 14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks on 66/27/74 shooting splits.
Despite the buzz surrounding him, Queen has one of the widest draft ranges among the top prospects. His positional limitations/questions and shooting struggles have left some questioning his fit at the next level. He has the skill set of an offensive hub yet doesn’t quite fit the traditional mold of a modern-day big. His game is incredibly advanced, but with an undefined role in the NBA, teams will have to carefully evaluate whether they see him as a foundational piece or more of a situational weapon.
Offensive Game:
Derik Queen is a 4 in a 5’s body, a true tweener in terms of positional fit. He doesn’t possess elite quickness or vertical athleticism, but what he does is have an amazing feel for the game, a polished offensive package, and the ability to impose his will physically. He operates best as a half-court offensive hub, able to facilitate offense through a mix of bully ball, post-scoring, and high-level passing for his position. His game isn’t built on overwhelming athleticism — he relies on his size, footwork, and craft to get to his spots and generate offense.
One of the more intriguing aspects of Queen’s game is his shot creation for his size. He’s shooting 35% on non-rim twos, with only 20% of those makes being assisted, meaning he’s self-generating a significant portion of his offense. That level of shot creation is rare for a player with his build, and it’s a testament to his skill and feel for the game. However, the efficiency hasn’t been there yet, and his shooting remains a major question mark — he is 14.3% from the three on just 28 total attempts, averaging only 1.5 3PA per 100 possessions. However, there are some great shot indicators because of the touch around the basket and his FT% being above 75%, so he definitely could develop a shot over a few years, which I expect to happen. Given the direction of the modern NBA, where floor spacing is often a necessity for bigs, this lack of shooting could be a concern when projecting him as a full-time 4.
Derik Queen distance shot chart:
Derik Queen Shot Chart
CBB Analytics
Here are similar players drafted around the same age as Queen that have close to the same shot profile:
Derik Queen Shot Profiles
Barttorvik.com
Despite the shooting struggles, Queen’s ability to handle the ball and initiate offense makes him a dynamic option in half-court settings. He’s comfortable in dribble handoffs, operating at the elbow, and even bringing the ball up in transition. His passing is a mixed bag — the vision is undoubtedly there, and he is capable of high-level reads, but turnovers can be an issue as he sometimes forces risky passes. However, because of his ability to create his own shot, defenses have to respect him as a scorer, which opens up opportunities for his teammates.
One of Queen’s most underrated skills is his ability to push the ball in transition. Unlike most bigs, who immediately look for a guard after securing a rebound, Queen is comfortable bringing the ball up himself and initiating offense on the break. His ball-handling for his size is impressive, and he can survey the floor, make reads, and either create for himself or set up his teammates in transition.
This is a unique aspect of his game that gives him extra value in up-tempo systems. While he isn’t a high-flying rim runner, his ability to grab and go after a defensive rebound allows his team to generate early offense without needing to reset into a half-court set. This ability could be especially useful if he’s paired with wings and guards who thrive in transition, as he can act as a secondary playmaker in the open floor.
Derik Queen’s offense vs Michigan:
High-level footwork, creation skill & perimeter shotmaking on display — very advanced feel in half-court settings at 6’10. Leverages his strength & nimbleness to create opportunities downhill.
31 PTS (10-19 FG, 9-9 FT), 3 REB & 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/Q5CLtLujjC
— mohamed (@mcfxz) March 16, 2025
One of the biggest concerns when projecting Queen as a full-time center is his lack of vertical athleticism and lob finishing ability. Unlike many modern bigs, Queen is not someone who can catch lobs out of the pick-and-roll or serve as a consistent threat above the rim. That complicates his fit at the 5, particularly in a league where many teams rely on rim-running, vertical spacing centers to keep defenses honest. Guards looking for a traditional roll man won’t get that with Queen, which could limit his effectiveness in certain offensive schemes. However, he can be utilized as a dump-off option as he is physically imposing and not afraid of contact.
Instead, Queen prefers to operate with the ball in his hands, often slowing the game down in the half-court rather than playing as a high-energy finisher. He has great touch around the rim, but most of his finishing comes below the rim, relying on craft, footwork, angles, and strength rather than explosiveness. This means that if he is playing the 5 at the NBA level, teams will need to construct their roster accordingly, likely pairing him with elite floor spacers or a secondary rim-running big to balance out the lineup.
One of the ways Queen has found success offensively is when playing in a double-big lineup, where he operates more as a 4 than a 5. In these situations, he has excelled as an offensive rebounder, generating second-chance opportunities by using his strong frame and physicality to carve out space. He may not be an explosive leaper that will reach over guys to grab boards, but his instincts and strength allow him to be a presence on the glass at the 4.
Comparison: Zach Randolph
One of the most common comparisons for Queen is Zach Randolph, and it’s easy to see why. Like Randolph, Queen is a big-bodied forward with an old-school approach to scoring. Both players rely more on craft and skill rather than raw athleticism, and both are comfortable creating their own shots in ways that aren’t typical for players their size.
Z-Bo made a career out of punishing defenders with his physicality, elite footwork, and touch around the basket, and Queen has the potential to do something similar. However, there are differences — Randolph developed a mid-range game and became a respectable scorer everywhere within the arc, which Queen has yet to show. If Queen can expand his shooting range and refine his efficiency, the Z-Bo comparison will hold even more weight.
I’m not going to lie, while writing this I am fully convinced he is the next Zach Randolph, BUT team construction plays a huge part in why Z-Bo was so great. Marc Gasol was the perfect center to have around him, he could space the floor and protect the rim at an elite level on both ends. The Utah Jazz do not have a guy like that, yet.
Defensive Game:
Defensively, Queen brings a mix of instincts, versatility, and limitations that make his ideal role highly dependent on team fit. He has quick hands, allowing him to strip guards and disrupt passing lanes, making him an effective player on that side of the ball. As a weak side shot blocker, he can rotate over to contest shots, but he isn’t a primary rim protector (3.8 BLK%), which raises questions about playing him as a full-time 5 in the NBA.
In Maryland, he is often deployed on the perimeter, showcasing decent lateral movement for his size, though he isn’t a lockdown switch defender. He can stay in front of wings and slower guards in space, but he is not someone who will thrive in heavy switch schemes — he gets blown by a lot more than you would like. His footwork is solid for a big, but he lacks the quickness and verticality to consistently challenge shots at the rim against NBA-level athletes.
Because of these limitations, team fit will be a big factor in Queen’s defensive success. He projects best next to a spacing 5, similar to how Zach Randolph benefited from playing alongside Marc Gasol. A frontcourt partner who can anchor the defense and protect the rim would allow Queen to play to his strengths as a secondary rim protector and defensive playmaker rather than being overmatched as the last line of defense.
A key evaluation this cycle is on Derik Queen's defense. Lot of his NBA value will ride on whether he can avoid being a weak link. Went through 100 possessions of mixed results, clipped together the good and bad.
Vulnerable in space. Bites on fakes. Gives up 3s to avoid… pic.twitter.com/LFJSW1g9mi
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) February 13, 2025
My question to the Utah Jazz would be how much do they value Derik Queen over Kyle Filipowski? I feel like Kyle Filipowski can bring close to the same level of impact on both sides of the ball as you can get with Derik Queen — essentially a “We have Derik Queen at home” situation, in my opinion. I also get worried about Queen’s motor at times, sometimes he doesn’t seem fully engaged in the moment whereas I would like somebody who is always active and looking for ways to impact the game. That concern could stem from him possibly being exhausted due to his weight, the length of the college season, or both.
I am also concerned if the big man offensive hub archetype leads to championships. From what I can gather from previous championships is that other than Jokic, a top 15 player of all time, and arguably Tim Duncan (who had David Robinson and then Kawhi later on), the big man hub doesn’t rule over the multitude of championships won by wings; Bird, Kobe, Kawhi, LeBron, Giannis, Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Jordan, Pippen, Paul Pierce, etc.
I think Derik Queen is one of the most skilled players in the entire draft and could return top value when all is said and done based on ppg and accolades but is he the type of player who contributes to winning a championship?